Mattie T’s Week 11 Recap of the 2006 NFL Season (Plus news & thoughts on Michael Richards’ racial tirade)

At M&T Bank Stadium, the Baltimore Ravens totaled 328 yards of net offense during their 24-10 home win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons took the lead on Michael Vick’s 13 yard touchdown pass to WR Michael Jenkins to make it 7-0 Atlanta with 1:45 remaining in the first quarter.

From that point on, Baltimore took over the game.

The Ravens would end up outscoring Atlanta 24-3 for the rest of the way, lifting themselves to a 4th straight victory.

Baltimore won their first 4 games of the season before losing back-to-back games to Denver & Carolina.

Ravens RB Jamal Lewis enjoyed his best game of the season, rushing 22 times for 91 yards & scored 3 touchdowns.

“A couple of times out there, it kind of felt like old times,” said Lewis, who amassed 2,066 yards rushing in 2003. “It’s really not me, just the offensive line pushing guys down the field. Their defense was tired and we kind of took advantage of that in the fourth quarter.”

The Ravens defense sacked Falcons QB Michael Vick 5 times during the game.

Vick has now been sacked 29 times this season, which is the 6th highest total in the NFL for starting quarterbacks.

Ravens WR Mark Clayton led the team with 5 receptions for 89 yards during the win.

Falcons K Morten Andersen played in his NFL-record 362nd game. He needs eight more PATs to pass Gary Anderson for second-most in league history.

At Reliant Stadium, the Buffalo Bills scored the game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds remaining during their 24-21 road win over the Houston Texans.

Buffalo got out to a quick start thanks to WR Lee Evans.

Evans caught a 83 yard touchdown reception from Bills QB J.P. Losman in the first quarter to give Buffalo a 7-0 lead.

Losman hit Evans again for ANOTHER 83 yard touchdown with 6:35 remaining in the first quarter to give Buffalo a 14-0 lead.

At this point of the game, Evans had already caught 3 receptions for 180 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Houston fought back though & actually took the lead on a 9 yard interception return for a touchdown by CB Dunta Robinson to make it 21-17 Texans with 7:02 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

The final points didn’t come until the waning seconds of the fourth quarter.

On 2nd & 10 from the Texans’ 15 yard line, Losman hit WR Peerless Price for a 15 yard touchdown pass down the middle to give the Bills the last-second win.

Despite Evans’ big day, Price made the biggest catch of the game.

“I feel like I can make plays to help us win ballgames,” he said. “But when Lee was having the type of day he was having, keep feeding him. I’m all for it … but when your number’s called, you’ve got to be able to make a play and I was able to do that.”

Evans finished with 11 receptions for 265 yards to break the franchise single-game receiving mark of 255 yards held by Jerry Butler since 1979.

“It’s truly special,” Evans said of the record. “It’s good to celebrate it with a win.”

Texans QB David Carr tied the NFL record for consecutive completions with 22 in the loss.

Redskins QB Mark Brunell also recorded 22 consecutive completions during Washington’s Week 4 win over Houston.

Texans WR Eric Moulds had five catches for 68 yards in his first game against his former team.

Moulds spent 10 years with the Bills before being traded to the Texans over the off-season.

At Giants Stadium, the Chicago Bears recorded their 2nd shutout of the season during their 10-0 road win over the New York Jets.

It was the first shutout for Chicago since their 26-0 win over Green Bay in Week 1.

The Jets’ best scoring chance of the day was killed by a red zone interception thrown by QB Chad Pennington.

The Jets were facing 3rd & 6 on the Bears’ 6 yard line when Pennington threw an interception to Bears LB Brian Urlacher, who returned it 36 yards.

“I was just reading his eyes,” Urlacher said. “I don’t think he saw me.”

Pennington threw his 2nd interception on a high lob pass that was caught by Bears CB Nathan Vasher during the third quarter.

The Bears’ defense has forced 27 takeaways this season, which leads the NFL.

Chicago’s only offensive touchdown came on a 57 yard pass from QB Rex Grossman to WR Mark Bradley with 14:50 remaining in the game.

Bradley led the Bears with 4 receptions for 80 yards & a touchdown.

It was the 2nd long touchdown reception for Bradley in consecutive weeks. He also scored a 29 yard touchdown during the Bears’ 38-20 win over the New York Giants in Week 10.

Bears WR Bernard Berrian returned from a rib injury, but did not catch a pass during the win.

Bears RB Thomas Jones rushed 23 times for 121 yards during the win.

Jones has now run for 100 yards in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

RB Cedric Benson added 51 yards on 10 carries during the win.

Jets WR Laveranues Coles caught 8 receptions for 80 yards in a losing effort.

Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye left late with an apparent injury, but Bears head coach Lovie Smith said it wasn’t serious.

At the Superdome, the Cincinnati Bengals got another huge game out of Chad Johnson during their 31-16 road win over the New Orleans Saints.

Johnson had his second monster game in a row, catching 6 receptions for 190 yards & scoring 3 touchdowns, all from Bengals QB Carson Palmer.

It didnt top his 11 reception, 260 yard & 3-touchdown game a week ago against San Diego, but this time Johnson came out a winner.

“I’m trying to be as consistent as possible, trying to make sure I do all I can to make sure we come up out of this hole and make this run,” said Johnson, who limped into the end zone at the end of a 60-yard touchdown reception that gave the Bengals a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter. “It was a necessary victory. A must win.”

Johnson has caught 450 of his 932 yards (48.3%) in the past 2 weeks.

The 6th year Pro Bowl wideout now leads the NFL with 932 yards receiving.

The Saints lost rookie WR Marques Colston in the 1st quarter with a ankle injury.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said that the injury is being classified as a high ankle sprain & was not sure if Colston would be available for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

Colston’s injury didn’t stop Saints QB Drew Brees from having a career day.
Brees threw for 510 yards during the loss, which was the sixth-highest total in NFL history.

The most passing yards in a game is 554 by Norm Van Brocklin with the Los Angeles Rams in 1951.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer has also been sharp in the past 2 games, completing 45 of 64 passes (70.3%) for 715 yards, 6 touchdowns & 1 interception.

Palmer has also posted quarterback ratings of 100 or more in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Bengals RB Rudi Johnson rushed 27 times for 111 yards during the win.

Saints WR Devery Henderson had a big game despite the loss, catching 9 receptions for 169 yards.

Saints WR Joe Horn scored his 50th career touchdown in the first quarter.

He became one of only two players to ever reach 50 in New Orleans. The other was Dalton Hilliard, who had 53 from 1986-93.

At Dolphin Stadium, the Miami Dolphins’ defense recorded 2 touchdowns during their 24-20 home win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota committed 2 costly turnovers that would end up being the deciding factor in the game.

With the Vikings nursing a 13-10 lead with 9:27 remaining in the game, RB Chester Taylor fumbled at the Vikings’ 48 yard line.

Dolphins S Renaldo Hill recovered the fumble & returned it for a touchdown, giving Miami a 17-13 lead.

With 3:25 remaining & Miami up 17-13, Dolphins DE Jason Taylor intercepted Vikings QB Brad Johnson & returned it 51 yards to give Miami a 24-13 lead.

Miami won the game despite netting just -3 yards of rushing on offense.

The last time a team won with such a poor rushing total was on Oct. 29, 1961, when Philadelphia beat Washington 27-24 with minus 12 yards.

Dolphins QB Joey Harrington finally found a way to beat the Vikings, after losing to them i
his 6 previous tries, all with the Lions.

“There has been a bit of a something against those guys,” Harrington said. “It’s nice to beat them.”

Former Minnesota Vikings star Daunte Culpepper was inactive for the 6th straight game.

It was nice to get the win for him,” Taylor said.

At Lambeau Field, the New England Patriots’ defense allowed just 120 yards of net offense during their 35-0 road win over the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers suffered a pair of injuries to both of their active quarterbacks during the game.

The Patriots had a 21-0 lead with under two minutes left in the first half when LB Tully Banta-Cain wrapped Packers QB Brett Favre up in the backfield and LB Tedy Bruschi jumped in to finish the sack. Bruschi’s hit slammed Favre to the ground on his throwing arm, and the three-time MVP got up wincing.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s a quarterback or not, he’s one of the toughest guys in the league,” Bruschi said. “You know when he can’t come back like that something’s probably up.”

Favre, who made his 251st consecutive start on Sunday including playoff games, was replaced by second-year player Aaron Rodgers. Favre walked back out of the locker room shortly after halftime, but Rodgers played the remainder of the game.

It was the first time since October 3, 2004 that Favre was unable to return to a game due to injury.

Favre suffered a concussion against the New York Giants on that day during the Packers’ 14-7 loss.

Rodgers broke his left foot during the third quarter & actually continued to play on it.

He was seen limping through the locker room after the game.

The Packers put Rodgers on injured reserve Monday, officially ending his season.

If Favre is unable to make his 252nd consecutive start on Monday night against Seattle, the Packers will turn to 3rd string rookie QB Ingle Martin from Furman University.

Martin started his college career at Florida & backed up Chicago Bears QB Rex Grossman in ‘02 before transferring to Furman.

Martin also holds school records for passing yards (5,751), passing touchdowns (42) and total offense (6,277) while attending Furman.

Patriots QB Tom Brady completed 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards & 4 touchdowns. (QB rating of 128.2, season-high)

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney rushed 19 times for 82 yards during the win.

Maroney also added 4 receptions for 34 yards & a touchdown.

Patriots TE Ben Watson led the team with 5 receptions for 74 yards & a touchdown.

Packers LB A.J. Hawk recorded 10 tackles & recovered a fumble in a losing effort.

At Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:32 remaining, giving them a 17-13 home win over the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders led for most of the 2nd half until Chiefs RB Larry Johnson capped off a 11 play, 80 yard drive with a 1 yard touchdown drive to give Kansas City their 4th win in 5 games.

Johnson finished the game rushing 31 times for 154 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

It was the 5th time this season that Johnson has topped 125+ yards rushing, which leads the NFL.

Johnson now leads the NFL with 1,045 rushing yards.

Chiefs QB Trent Green played conservatively in his first game since Opening Day, completing 9 of 16 passes for 102 yards.

Raiders RB LaMont Jordan tore his knee ligament in the first quarter & will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Raiders OT Robert Gallery left the game in the third quarter with an dislocated elbow & could also be lost for the season.

Raiders WR Ronald Curry led the team with 5 receptions for 85 yards in a losing effort.

Raiders QB Aaron Brooks made his first start since September 17th & completed 13 of 22 passes for 179 yards, 1 touchdown & 1 interception.

“His effort shows what he is capable of doing,” Raiders head coach Art Shell said.

Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez missed his first game since 1999 with a shoulder injury, but added that he will be ready for Thursday’s game against Denver.

“There’s nothing that could keep me out of that game. I’m already able to lift my arm above my head. I’m much further along than they thought I’d be,” said Gonzalez.

Kansas City won their seventh straight game against Oakland, all seven wins were decided by 7 points or less.

At Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Pittsburgh Steelers scored the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds remaining, then broke up a game-ending Hail Mary pass to record a 24-20 road win over the Cleveland Browns.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw a 4 yard shovel pass to RB Willie Parker to give Pittsburgh a 24-20 lead with 32 seconds remaining in the game.

The Browns then rallied for a 35 yard, 4 play drive to set up the game’s final play with 3 seconds remaining.

Browns QB Charlie Frye threw a bomb to the back of the left side of the end zone that WR Braylon Edwards nearly tipped to himself, but the ball landed up out of bounds to give Pittsburgh a thrilling last-second victory.

Several Browns players were heartbroken after their latest defeat.

“We had them,” said Browns TE Kellen Winslow, who engaged in some serious pregame trash talking with Steelers LB Joey Porter.

“We’re in every single game. We just have to find a way to pull it out at the end.”

“This is very disappointing, especially after that 41-0 loss last year,” Browns LB Andra Davis said. “We’ve been looking forward to this one since that clock went to zeroes.”
Porter had no sympathy.

“If you talk and lose, you’re still losers,” he said. “They talk like a different team, but in reality they are not. They had all the breaks, all the bounces. But when it was nail-biting time and you’ve got to make plays, who made them?

The Browns got some big plays from their defense & special teams to keep this game close until the final seconds.

Browns CB Daven Holly intercepted Roethlisberger in the second quarter & ran it back 57 yards to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.

Browns WR Joshua Cribbs returned a kickoff 92 yards in the third quarter for a touchdown to give Cleveland a 20-10 lead.

Roethlisberger finished the game completing 25 of 44 passes for 272 yards, 2 touchown & 3 interceptions.

Steelers RB Willie Parker totaled 63 yards from scrimmage (46 rush, 17 receiving) & scored 2 touchdowns during the win.

Steelers WR Hines Ward led the team with 7 receptions for 81 yards.

Browns WR Braylon Edwards caught 7 receptions for 137 yards in a losing effort.

Browns RB Reuben Droughns sat out with a sprained right foot.

Backup RB Jason Wright finished with 74 yards on 18 carries.

At Bank of America Stadium, the Carolina Panthers’ defense recorded 7 sacks during their 15-0 home win over the St. Louis Rams.

The Panthers defense wreaked havoc all day on Rams QB Marc Bulger.

Bulger was sacked 7 times (season-high) & completed 19 of 34 passes for 142 yards. (QB rating of 53.8, season-low)

Not one sack came on Sunday from Panthers DE Julius Peppers, who still leads the NFL with 11.0 sacks.

Rams WR Torry Holt led the team with 7 receptions for 68 yards & a fumble.

The Panthers lost RB DeShaun Foster in the 2nd quarter to a knee injury.

Backup RB DeAngelo Williams ran for 114 yards on 20 carries.

Panthers WR Steve Smith caught 4 receptions for 90 yards & a touchdown during the win.

The Rams defense has now allowed 7 different running backs to rush for 100 or more yards on them & will face Frank Gore (1st in NFC with 1043 yards) on Sunday.

The Rams were shutout for the first time since October of ‘98 in a 14-0 loss to Miami.

At Lincoln Financial Field, the Tennessee Titans enjoyed their best offensive output of the season during a 31-13 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles suffered a devastating blow in the second quarter, as QB Donovan McNabb tore his ACL after being bumped by Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

“If he was running to the sideline trying to get out of bounds, I don’t take that shot, but he reared up and tried to throw it and I was trying to get a hand in his face,” Vanden Bosch said.

“I never play with the intent to get anybody hurt. It’s a freak deal.”

McNabb will be sidelined for the rest of the season & will need 8 to 12 months for a full recovery.

Before McNabb got injured, he was tied with the Colts’ Peyton Manning for the most touchdown passes (18) & was 2nd in the NFL with 2,569 yards passing.

It’s also the third time in the past five years that McNabb has seen his season come to an end during the month of November.

McNabb has also had his season halted due to a lingering sports hernia last season on Nov. 14th and in 2002, he suffered a broken ankle during a Nov. 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals and missed the final six regular-season games.

“It’s an unfortunate thing,” said Eagles QB Jeff Garcia, who replaced McNabb. “Donovan is a competitor, a leader and he was having a great season. He’ll be missed.”

After McNabb’s injury, the Eagles were only able to score 1 offensive touchdown, which was a 5 yard touchdown pass from Garcia to TE L.J. Smith to make it 24-13 Tennessee.

Titans RB Travis Henry rushed 18 times for 143 yards & scored a touchdown during the win.

Titans CB Adam “Pacman” Jones returned a Dirk Johnson punt 90 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-6 Tennessee, recording their final score of the day.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook rushed 22 times for 102 yards in a losing effort.

Westbrook has run for 100 yards in back-to-back weeks for the first time in his 5 year career.

Eagles WR Donte Stallworth caught 4 receptions for 75 yards.

Titans QB Vince Young missed the team flight to Philadelphia on Saturday night and had to pay for his own flight. He said he got stuck in traffic behind a funeral procession.

“There will be no extraordinary disciplinary action taken,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “There will be a little fine and we’ll move on.”

At Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recorded a 20-17 home win over the Washington Redskins, spoiling the debut of Jason Campbell.

Redskins QB Jason Campbell did not disappoint during his NFL debut, completing 19 of 34 passes for 196 yards & 2 touchdowns during the loss.

Both head coaches were impressed by Campbell’s performance.

“He showed a lot of poise. He’s got a big arm. He showed good command,” Bucs head coach Jon Gruden said. “I thought the Redskins rallied around him, too. I was impressed.”

“I wish we could have found a way to win it for him,” Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs said. “But there just wasn’t something there to get it done today.”

Campbell’s first NFL touchdown pass went to TE Chris Cooley to give Washington a 10-3 lead with 9:34 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

The Buccaneers took the lead for good on QB Bruce Gradkowski’s 34 yard touchdown pass to WR Joey Galloway with 9:35 remaining in the game.

Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams ran 27 times for 122 yards (both season-highs) during the win.

At University of Phoenix Stadium, the Arizona Cardinals committed no turnovers during their 17-10 home win over the Detroit Lions.

It was the first time all season that Arizona played mistake-free football & they were rewarded with their first win since September 10th.

Cardinals QB Matt Leinart finally collected his first NFL win as a starter on his 6th try.

“This is the first time we’ve been excited after a game,” he said, “guys giving each other fives — offense, defense. Really on the sidelines we were there for each other. That’s something we’ve kind of lacked for whatever reason.”

Cardinals RB Edgerrin James had his best game of the season, rushing 22 times for 96 yards.

“It’s cool, you know,” James said, “but you always want to go over 100.”

The Lions lost RB Kevin Jones (ankle) in the first quarter. It is unsure whether Jones will be available for Thursday’s game against Miami.

Backup RB Arlen Harris ran 10 times for 40 yards & scored a touchdown.

Lions WR Mike Furrey led the team with 6 receptions for 67 yards in a losing effort.

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin caught 5 receptions for 87 yards during the win.

Cardinals G Deuce Lutui played after attending the birth of his daughter at 9 a.m., five hours before kickoff.

At Monster Park, the San Francisco 49ers totaled 262 yards rushing during their 20-14 home win over the Seattle Seahawks.

49ers RB Frank Gore broke a team record with 212 yards on 24 carries as the 49ers pulled to within a game of Seattle for the NFC West lead.

Gore broke Charlie Garner’s team record of 201 yards on a 17-yard romp in the final seconds of the game.

“We want to let everybody know the 49ers are coming on,” said Gore, who didn’t practice until Friday after getting a concussion in last week’s win at Detroit. “I haven’t had 200 yards since high school. Our offensive line doesn’t get any respect, so we’ve been saying we’ve got to get it ourselves.”

The 49ers have now won 3 straight games for the first time since 2002 & have become one of the NFL’s biggest surprises this season.

“I think we’ve gained some respect,” 49ers LB Brandon Moore said. “People are going to have to respect us now. It’s the same team, but we’ve come together so much more.”

49ers QB Alex Smith passed for a touchdown & ran for a touchdown during the win.

Seahawks QB Seneca Wallace got what looks to be his final start of the season, completing 19 of 31 passes for 252 yards, 2 touchdowns & 3 interceptions.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck is on schedule to return to the starting lineup Monday night against Green Bay.

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander made his return from a broken foot, but only managed to rush for 37 yards on 17 carries.

However, Alexander was pleased with his progress after the game.

“It took me the (entire) first half to feel I could make all the cuts,” Alexander said. “For me personally, this is very positive. My foot did great.”

49ers head coach Mike Nolan wore a suit and tie made by Reebok on the sideline, nearly two seasons after he first requested permission from the NFL to dress as an authority figure

The 49ers held an official retirement ceremony for legendary receiver Jerry Rice at halftime, who signed a one-day contract before the season with the club that was his home for 16 of his 20 record-setting NFL seasons.

Former 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, looking strong and healthy after recently disclosing his battle with leukemia, was among the 49ers luminaries who honored Rice.

At Texas Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys’ defense forced 4 turnovers during their 21-14 home win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The win by Dallas gives Indianapolis their 1st loss of the season, sparking a celebration by members of the ‘72 Dolphins.

The Don Shula-coached ‘72 Dolphins are the only team in NFL history that has gone undefeated for an entire season.

Indianapolis took a 7-0 lead on Peyton Manning’s 23 yard touchdown pass to WR Reggie Wayne with 10 seconds remaining in the first half.

Wayne led the team with 7 receptions for 111 yards in a losing effort.

Colts WR Marvin Harrison also added 6 receptions for 94 yards, but did fumble in the 1st quarter. (Cowboys recovered)

Dallas tied it on a 39 yard interception return by Cowboys LB Kevin Burnett with 14:09 left in the 3rd quarter.

Indianapolis re-took the lead on Manning’s 4 yard touchdown pass to TE Dallas Clark, to make it 14-7 Colts with 5:09 remaining in the third quarter.

Cowboys RB Marion Barber III scored 2 touchdowns in a 5 minute, 36 second span during the fourth quarter to seal the upset.

Cowboys WR Terry Glenn led the team with 6 receptions for 78 yards during the win.

Manning feels that his team has a lot to improve on as the Colts play their final 6 games of the regular season.

“It’s not a positive when you lose a game,” said Manning, who also had a season-high 19 incompletions and was sacked twice on one drive after going down only 10 times all season coming in.

“We’re going to dissect the film and find things we can build on. It’s been awhile since while since lost a regular season game. But that doesn’t make this less painful.”

Dallas got a huge win to keep themselves in contention to win the NFC East.

“I told the team (this win) ought to tell them something about what they’re capable of doing,” said Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, who in his 19 years in the NFL had never ended an opponent’s perfect start this deep into a season. “If we keep playing like this, we have a chance to do something.”

“This is big,” said Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who went 19-of-23 for 226 yards. “We’ve been trying to get ourselves a little momentum for awhile. We needed this win badly. …

This isn’t our goal. This week it was, today it was. But our goal is much higher. This is a step in that direction.”

Cowboys K Mike Vanderjagt missed 2 field goals from 43 & 46 yards against his former team, which drew some boos from the Texas Stadium crowd when his face appeared on a commercial that was shown in the stadium monitors.

Vanderjagt’s last two-miss game came on November of ‘02 as a member of the Colts against… (guess who?)

The Cowboys.

At Invesco Field, the San Diego Chargers made some NFL History during their 35-27 road win over the Denver Broncos.

Chargers LB LaDainian Tomlinson scored 4 touchdowns & reached 100 career touchdowns faster than any player in NFL history Sunday night.

Tomlinson also added 3 receptions for 74 yards & caught a touchdown pass.

Tomlinson has scored an NFL-record 19 touchdowns in his last six games and reached 100 TDs in his 89th game, four fewer than it took Hall of Famer Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith. He has 102 TDs and topped 1,000 yards rushing for the sixth straight season.

“He’s unbelievable,” Chargers QB Phillip Rivers said. “He’s the best in the business. He’s unbelievable with it under his arm, he’s unbelievable as we’ve seen on the pass, he’s unbelievable blocking. He brings it on every play.

He’s the ultimate weapon, and you throw the guys we’ve got around him and we feel like we can score whatever we need on any given week.”

As usual, Tomlinson deflected the praise as easily as he does tacklers.

“It’s a phenomenal thing. But I have a lot of guys to thank,” Tomlinson said. “Our offensive line has played great this season. Lorenzo Neal is the best at blocking, so it’s a whole team effort. I can’t take all the credit.”

“Best running back ever, next to Jim Brown,” Broncos DL Gerard Warren said.

The Chargers also became the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back games after trailing by 17 or more points, and the first club to win four straight when allowing at least 24 points in each game.

Denver led 24-7 with 9:25 remaining in the 3rd quarter after Broncos CB Darrent Williams returned a Philip Rivers interception 31 yards for a touchdown.

After that point, San Diego outscored Denver 28-3 for the rest of the game.

“Resilient bunch of guys,” Tomlinson said. “Our team, we’re never out of it, and I think this is a very special team because no matter what happens, no matter how much we’re down, we’re never out of the football game.”

Tomlinson finally got his first win in Denver in his 6th try.

“I feel like Steve Young in a way when he said, ‘Get the monkey off my back,”‘ Tomlinson said. “This is not the Super Bowl, but it’s a huge burden that has been lifted off me. In five years I hadn’t won in Denver. Hadn’t had much success here, either. It feels good.”

San Diego is now in 1st place in the AFC West & has one more meeting each with both Denver & Kansas City in the race for the division title.

Tomlinson recorded his 3rd four-touchdown outing of the season and now needs just 9 touchdowns in San Diego’s final 6 games to break Shaun Alexander’s single-season touchdown record of 27 in 2005.

Broncos RB Mike Bell rushed 20 times for 90 yards & scored 2 touchdowns in a losing effort.

Broncos WR Javon Walker led the team with 4 receptions for 68 yards.

Denver will now head to Kansas City for a Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Chiefs.

Kansas City is just one game behind Denver for 2nd place in the AFC West.

At Alltell Stadium, the Jacksonville Jaguars spoiled Tom Coughlin’s return with a 26-10 home win over the New York Giants.

Coughlin was the Jaguars’ first coach and led the expansion franchise to the AFC championship game twice in its first five seasons. He was fired after the 2002 season, leaving with a 68-60 record that included two AFC Central titles and four playoff appearances.

Jacksonville has 13 players remaining from Coughlin’s tenure, including RB Fred Taylor, QB David Garrard, S Donovin Darius and DT’s John Henderson & Marcus Stroud.

“It felt good to beat him,” Garrard said. “But it also feels good that he brought me into this league, that he saw something in me to believe I could play.”

Garrard completed 19 of 32 passes for 249 yards during the win and was not sacked for the first time in a game this season.

Coughlin was livid after the game and went into a locker-room tirade on his team after their poor play.

“We just didn’t play well, and there’s no excuse for it,” Coughlin said. “This was a big, disappointing game for us.”

“Tom had every right to be upset with us, to be mad at us,” Giants QB Eli Manning said. “We’re not playing well. … Everyone was angry.”

“It was a pretty pitiful performance all the way around,” Giants RB Tiki Barber said. “I’m shocked our running game could be this unproductive.”

“We have to regroup and try to get this thing turned around.”
Barber was held to just 27 yards on 10 carries during the loss.

The Jaguars wore their black jerseys for the fourth time in franchise history.

Jacksonville also donned the black jerseys during their 9-0 win over Pittsburgh in Week 2, which was also on Monday Night Football.

Coughlin’s successor, Jack Del Rio, was dressed for the occasion, too, sporting a spiffy black dress suit the NFL granted him permission to wear.

The Jacksonville coach wore a white shirt and completed the ensemble with a teal-blue tie with black and white stripes and a gold Jaguars lapel pin.

Giants TE Jeremy Shockey led the team with 7 receptions for 82 yards during the loss.

Giants WR Plaxico Burress also added 5 receptions for 65 yards & a touchdown.

Jaguars RB Fred Taylor ran 24 times for 79 yards & scored a touchdown.

Jaguars WR Ernest Wilford led the team with 5 receptions for 72 yards, but left the game late with an ankle injury. It is unsure whether Wilford will be available for Sunday’s game against Houston.

Jaguars D Donovin Darius broke his right leg during the game & will miss the rest of the season.

Darius is the third Jaguars’ defensive starter to go on injured reserve.

Linebacker Mike Peterson and defensive end Reggie Hayward are two of eight defensive players on injured reserve.

Peterson, the team’s top tackler the last three seasons, tore a pectoral muscle last month. Hayward, who led the team with 8 1/2 sacks and 59 quarterback pressures last season, ruptured an Achilles’ tendon in the season opener.

Before i conclude My Week 11 Recap, i’d like to talk about an issue that has nothing to do with sports.

This comes after a recent incident by 57 year old Michael Richards (better known as “Kramer” from the hit TV series Seinfield) on Friday evening from the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, CA.

Richards’ tirade apparently began after two black audience members started shouting at him that he wasn’t funny.

Richards retorted: “Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f****** fork up your a**.”

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs & profanities.

“You can talk, you can talk, you’re brave now mother*****. Throw his a** out. He’s a n****! Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

Richards’ outburst lasted about 2 minutes until audience members began leaving.

Richards dropped his microphone & walked offstage without explanation or apology, and an employee of the Laugh Factory walked onstage and apologized.

Richards played the same venue on Saturday night without incident, but made no comment about his earlier tirade.

Richards appeared via satelite Monday night during the David Letterman Show to issue an apology for his racist slurs.

“For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, i’m deeply, deeply sorry.”

“I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about all this,” Richards said, his tone becoming angry & frustrated as he defended himself.

A clip from the show played on CBS before the “Late Show” aired Monday night.

Richards described himself as going through a “rage” over the two audience members who interrupted his act Friday at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Richards responded to the black hecklers with repeated use of the “n word” and profanities.

Richards’ former co-star Jerry Seinfield issued a statement saying that he was “sick over this horrible, horrible mistake” & called Richards’ outburst offensive. Seinfield actually encouraged Richards to make the satelite apperance to talk about the incident.

Seinfield said on the Late Show Monday evening that Richards “deserved the chance to apologize. He’s someone that i love, and i know how shattered he is about the incident.”

At one point though, Richards appeared flustered and expressed second thoughts about appearing on the “Late Show” when his use of the term “Afro-American” proved funny to some audience members.

“I’m hearing your audience laugh, and i’m not even sure that this is where i should be addressing the situation.” Richards said.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez was at the Hit Factory during the incident & said that he was shocked by Richards’ outburst.

“Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don’t happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaning.”

“Freedom of speech has its limitations and i think Michael Richards found those limitations.”

On Monday, about a half-dozen community activists gathered at the club to denounce Richards’ remarks and demand an apology.

“These kind of comments hurt all of us,” said protester Lita Sister Herron of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. She called Richards’ comments hate speech.

The protesters also demanded an apology from the Laugh Factory. At a news conference a short time later, club owner Jamie Masada expressed remorse and said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he’s sorry.

“This is one thing we don’t tolerate. … I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart,” Masada said Monday.

Veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included comedians George Carlin, the late Sam Kinison and the late Rodney Dangerfield, called Richards’ remarks inexcusable. Comics often face hecklers without losing their cool, he said.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Levine said Monday. “I think it’s a career ruiner for him. … It’s going to be a long road back for him, if at all.”

Daryl Pitts, a Laugh Factory audience member interviewed by CNN, compared the incident to another recent celebrity controversy.

“You think about Mel Gibson and what he said, and put that in the context of this, it’s very upsetting,” Pitts said, referring to Gibson’s anti-Semitic outburst during his arrest for drunken driving.

Comedian George Lopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards’ lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.

“The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn’t know what to do when an audience is disruptive,” Lopez said. “He’s an actor whose show has been off the air, he shouldn’t ever be on a stand-up gig.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts on this incident:

Michael Richards has to learn that there are certain things that you do not say to hecklers and the “n” word is the lowest degrading form of language that you can say to a person, especially to someone that who you have never seen before.
I understand that Richards might’ve been upset about the two African-American audience members interrupting his show, but he has to learn how to treat his audience members with RESPECT.

On the other hand, the two audience members could’ve done something that wouldn’t of prompted any reaction if they didn’t find Richards to be funny.
Stand up & leave.

They paid to see Richards put on a good show & in return, they expect Richards to give them a good show without crossing the line if & when any incidents like this occur.

In due time, the entire country might eventually accept Richards’ apology for his racist slurs on Friday. But until that happens, i just have one question to ask Mr. Richards:

Out of all the millons and millons of words in the English vocabulary, why did you choose the word n*****?

I actually wonder if Richards even had the balls to come on national TV without the help of Seinfield to apologize.

I really do wonder that.

I wasn’t a big Seinfield fan to begin with before this happened & i definitely won’t be now.

This guy shouldn’t be allowed to do stand-up at any venue around the country ever again.
To hear Richards’ unedited tirade, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgmCBKPHnSY

Richards’ apology on the Late Show with David Letterman (aired on 11/19)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dufHYw-W6j4
I’d like to hear some responses regarding this incident.

Until then,

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.bmsradio.com & myspace.com/bmsradiosports